Will Manny Banuelos be added to the 40-man roster in time to be protected from the Rule V draft? (Photo Credit: MiLB.com)

With tomorrow being the deadline for the Yankees to protect some of their players from the annual Rule V draft. If not added to the 40-man roster, each of the players below will be able to be drafted just a couple of weeks from now. There is currently seven open spots, but it is unrealistic to say more than three or four of them should be filled. Additionally, anyone drafted by another team must spend the entire season in the major leagues next year. In the case of Manny Banuelos, he would have to spend a certain number of games in 2014, as he will be on the disabled list for all of 2013 with Tommy John surgery. I’d like to hear who everyone thinks needs protecting on this list. I’ll make my choices known at the bottom of the article.

Here’s the list of those who will be eligible for the draft if not added to the 40-man roster.

You’ll notice a trend here. All four players are starting pitchers, which are notoriously easy to hide on a major league roster. Marshall could probably crack the back end of some big league rotations right now, while Turley and Ramirez could easily fill a long relief role in most bullpens, just like the Twins did with Johan Santana years ago. With the way players have come back from Tommy John surgery, it is plausible that Banuelos, if unprotected, could be productive as a long reliever in 2014 for some teams.

Most likely to lose Addison Maruszak Cody Johnson

I was torn between making Maruszak my fourth choice over Jose A. Ramirez. Many don’t believe Maruszak is good enough to deserve a 40-man spot, however Trenton’s MVP can play just about anywhere on the field and is a decent hitter. He could likely serve as a utility infielder on a lot of teams, and with the uncertainty in the Yankees infield, could be a valuable asset. Cody Johnson missed most of the season with an injury, but is a pure lefty power hitter in the mold of Adam Dunn.

A former University of Scranton student and Ramapo College of New Jersey graduate, Dan majored in Political Science before joining BronxPinstripes. A northern New Jersey native, Dan has followed not only the Yankees, but their Scranton and Trenton affiliates extensively. You can follow Dan on Twitter at @danpfeiffer74.

Yankees fans, what's your opinion?

YankeesMILBguru

I think a team like Houston or Miami would pick Rondon, he could be a useful lefty out of the bullpen and is doing well in the winter league right now. Nuno is another player like that, maybe even more likely in that he could be used out of the bullpen this year and then made into a starter in the future. Many teams are looking for a cheap alternative to fill a roster spot and either of them could help.

http://www.nyyuniverse.com/ Dan Pfeiffer

I could see Rondon going. Nuno, I’m not so sure. His only start above Double-A he looked like he was well out of his league, and I’m just not sure that he would be a priority selection on most teams. Even if taken, I do not believe that he would break camp with the team.

YankeesMILBguru

Probably right on Nuno, I just think he has performed at every level and is doing well in the lefty relief role this winter. He just seems like one of those that everyone doubts but still makes it somehow.

YankeesMILBguru

I think a team like Houston or Miami would pick Rondon, he could be a useful lefty out of the bullpen and is doing well in the winter league right now. Nuno is another player like that, maybe even more likely in that he could be used out of the bullpen this year and then made into a starter in the future. Many teams are looking for a cheap alternative to fill a roster spot and either of them could help.